Golf ball teeing device



Jan. 29, 1963 A. E. BUELL GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledJune 29, 1960 lll/lll11111111111111111111 lll/111111 l lll/l//l/lll/[111111111111111]1111/11/ Fig. 5

Jan. 29, 1963 A. E. Bul-:LL 3,075,774

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /8 IIHI.

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' "43 WWW 3,075,774 GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Alvin E. Bueil, Springfield,Greg., assigner to A-C Tee Co., Inc., Springfield, Greg., a corporationof Oregon Filed .inne 29, 1960, Ser. No. 39,608 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-201)This invention relates to new and useful improvements in golf ballteeing devices, and the principal object of the invention is to providea device of this type which is simple in construction, trouble-free inoperation and which, unlike conventional devices of a similar type,avoids the use of complicated mechanisms involving springs, cables, andthe like.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of ateeing device wherein a vertically reciprocable tee is employed forraising a golf ball to a playing position from a lowered position at thebottom of a raceway communicating with a ball hopper, the lowering ofthe tee being effected by a manually depressible foot pedal while theraising thereof is effected by a counterweight, -so that the use of theaforementioned springs, cables, et cetera is avoided and dependablereciprocation of the tee is attained.

Another important feature of the invention resides in a novelarrangement of means, responsive to depression of the foot pedal, forindividually and successively dispensing golf balls from the hopper intothe raceway, while another important feature lies in the provision ofmeans, responsive to actuation of the dispensing means, for agitatingthe balls in the hopper.

These together with other objects and advantages which will subsequentlybecome apparent reside in the details of construction and operation asmore fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals referto like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the golf ball teeing device inaccordance with the invention, also showing a target or ball stop suchas may be used in connection therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale,taken substantially in the plane of the line 2 2 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a view, similar to that shown in FIG- URE 2 but with themoving parts in a different position;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of theline 4 4 in FIGURE 2;

'FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional View, taken substantially in theplane of the line 5 5 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional View, taken substantially in theplane of the line 6 6 in FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the golf ballteeing device in accordance with the invention is designated generallyby the numeral 10 and embodies in its construction a platform 12 whichis preferably supported in an elevated position above ground by aplurality of legs or feet 14 with enlarged bases or pads 16, so that theweight of the device and that of a player standing on the platformcauses negligible damage to a lawn, or the like, on which the device ispositioned. A transversely elongated ball receiving hopper 18 isprovided on the platform 12 along one side edge of the latter, thehopper having a bottom 20 which slopes from the ends toward the centerof the hopper as is best shown in FIGURE 5. Provided at the center ofthe bottom 20' is a downwardly extending hopper outlet 22, the lower endof which communicates through an opening in the platform 12 with one endof an elongated ball raceway 24. The latter is disposed under the3,075,774 Patented Jan. 29, 1963 fice platform and extendslongitudinally thereunder to an opening 26 in the platform through whicha vertically reciprocable golf ball tee 28 is projectable.

A mechanism housing 30 is provided under the platform .1 2 and containsa vertical, tubular guide 32 which has an open upper end incommunication with the raceway 24 and slidably accommodates the tee 23.The tee is movable from a lowered position wherein its head 34 is ushwith the bottom of the raceway 24 to a raised position wherein itprojects through the opening 26 and its head is disposed above theplatform, as will be apparent from a comparison of FIGURES 2 and 3,v sothat when a golf ball in the raceway assumes a position on the tee head34 as indicated at 36 in FIGURE 3, it may be raised to a playingposition above the platform.

A lever 318 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as at 40 on abracket 42 provided in the housing 30, one end portion of the levercarrying a counterweight 44 while its other end is provided with a fork46 which straddles the guide 32. The guide 32 is formed at oppositesides thereof with a pair of vertical slots 4S'which slidably receive apair of vertically spaced pins Sil car ried by and projecting to bothsides o-f the tee 28, as is best shown in FIGURES 4 and 6.

A depressible foot pedal 52, slidable in an aperture 54 in the platform12, is provided at its upper end with an enlarged head 56 while itslower end is connected by a pivot 58 to the lever 38 at a point betweenthe fork 46 and the pivot 40, so that when the device is in the positionshown in FIGURE 2 and the pedal 52 is depressed, the lever 38 causes thetee 28 to` be lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 3, in readiness toreceive the ball 36 in the raceway 24. When foot pressure on the pedalS2 is removed, the counterweight 44 causes the lever 33 to return thetee 28 to its raised position, thus bringing the ball into position forplaying. An adjustable stop screw 60, cooperating with a nut 62 at theunderside of the platform 12, is engageable with the lever 38 toadjustably limit the raising movement of the lever and correspondinglyadjust the height of the tee head 34 above the platform when the tee israised.

Means are provided for individually and successively dispensing golfballs in the hopper 18 as indicated at 64 into the raceway 24, thesemeans involving the provision of a vertically disposed disc 66 which isrotatably mounted on a shaft 68 below the hopper bottom 20 and has asubstantial portion thereof projecting into the hopper outlet 22thro-ugh a slot 70. The disc 66 has a recess or cut out 72 which islarge enough to accommodate only one golf ball when the disc is in theposition shown in FIGURE 2 and, by a clockwise rotation of the discthrough approximately '90 to the position shown in FIGURE 3, the golfball accommodated in the recess 72 will be conveyed through the outlet22 and permitted to drop into the raceway 24, as will be clearlyapparent. During such rotation of the disc, the unrecessed marginal edgethereof will eectively block oit the outlet 22 as shown in FIGURE 3 soas to prevent other balls in the hopper Ifrom being discharged.

The rotation of the disc is effected by a link 74 which is pivoted atone end thereof as at 76 to the disc and is pivoted at its other end asat 78 to one end of a rocker arm 80 which is pivoted intermediate itsends as at y82 on a bracket 84 in the housing 30. The other end portionof the arm -80 is operatively engageable -with a cross pin z86 carriedby the fork 46 of the lever 38, the arrangement being such that when thedevice is in the position shown in FIGURE 2, the pin `86 is disengagedfrom the lever 80, ibut when the lever 38 is lowered by depression ofthe foot pedal S2, the pin 86 is brought in engagement with the arm 80and causes the same to rock to the position shown in FIGURE 3, thusimparting, through the medium of the link 74, the required partialrotation to the disc 56 to dispense one ball from the hopper into theraceway 24. When foot pressure is subsequently removed from 4the pedal52 and the lever 38 is raised bythe counterweight 44, the combinedweight of the link 74 and of the associated end portion of the arm 80causes the disc `66 to return to its initial position shown in FIGURE 2,in readiness for dispensing the next ball.

Means are also provided for agitating the balls in the hopper so thatthey do not obstruct the hopper outlet, these means comprising arockable agitating bottom plate 88 which is pivotally mounted as at 90at the center of the hopper bottom 20 adjacent the outlet 22. The plate88 is operatively connected by a link 92 to the disc 65, so that theaforementioned partial rotation of the disc in oppositie directionscauses the plate 88 to be alternately raised and lowered, thus agitatingthe balls in the hopper, as will be apparent from FIGURES 2 and 3.

A suitable target or ball stop 94 may be used in conjunction with thedevice as illustrated in FIGURE l, it being also noted that by varyingthe relative positions of the device and target, the device may be usedwith equal facility by either right-handed or left-handed persons.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a golf ball teeing device, the combination of a platform, a ballhopper having a sloping bottom mounted on said platform and having anoutlet through said bottorn, an elongated ball raceway connected to saidplatform and communicating at one end thereof with the outlet of saidhopper, a vertically reciprocable tee provided at the other end portionof said raceway, said tee being movable from a lowered position flushwith the bottom of the raceway to a raised position wherein it projectsabove the platform through an opening formed in the latter, a verticallyswingable lever pivoted to the platform and operatively connected tosaid tee for reciprocating the same, a depressible foot pedal connectedto said lever and projecting above the platform whereby said tee may belowered when the foot pedal is depressed, a counterweight connected tosaid lever for moving said tee to its raised position when the footpedal is not depressed, and dispensing means mounted below the hopperand adjacent said outlet for dispensing balls one at a time from saidhopper to said raceway, said dispenser operatively connected to saidlever and responsive to depression of said foot pedal for individuallyand successively dispensing one ball at a time from said hopper intosaid one end of the raceway, said bottom including a substantiallyhorizontal plate pivotally connected to said hopper on a generallyhorizontal axis, said outlet being adjacent one edge of the plate, meansoperatively connecting said dispensing means to said plate whereby theplate is elevated above adjacent portions of said bottom each time saiddispensing means dispenses a ball so as to churn the balls in saidhopper adjacent said outlet.

2. A device as delined in claim 1 wherein said dispensing meanscomprises a rotatably mounted disc below said plate and outlet andformed with a recess adapted to receive one ball, first linkage meansoperatively connecting said disc and plate, second linkage meansoperatively connecting said disc and lever whereby depression of saidfoot pedal will rotate said disc and elevate said plate.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 wherein said first linkage meanscomprises a single link pivotally connected at its ends to said disc andplate, said second linkage means comprises another lever pivotallyconnected at its central portion to said platform, another linkpivotally connecting one end of Said other lever to said disc, and meansoperatively and directly connecting the other end if said other lever toone end of said rst mentioned ever.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,948,536 Koener Aug. 9, 1960

1. IN A GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF A PLATFORM, A BALLHOPPER HAVING A SLOPING BOTTOM MOUNTED ON SAID PLATFORM AND HAVING ANOUTLET THROUGH SAID BOTTOM, AN ELONGATED BALL RACEWAY CONNECTED TO SAIDPLATFORM AND COMMUNICATING AT ONE END THEREOF WITH THE OUTLET OF SAIDHOPPER, A VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE TEE PROVIDED AT THE OTHER END PORTIONOF SAID RACEWAY, SAID TEE BEING MOVABLE FROM A LOWERED POSITION FLUSHWITH THE BOTTOM OF THE RACEWAY TO A RAISED POSITION WHEREIN IT PROJECTSABOVE THE PLATFORM THROUGH AN OPENING FORMED IN THE LATTER, A VERTICALLYSWINGABLE LEVER PIVOTED TO THE PLATFORM AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TOSAID TEE FOR RECIPROCATING THE SAME, A DEPRESSIBLE FOOT PEDAL CONNECTEDTO SAID LEVER AND PROJECTING ABOVE THE PLATFORM WHEREBY SAID TEE MAY BELOWERED WHEN THE FOOT PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, A COUNTERWEIGHT CONNECTED TOSAID LEVER FOR MOVING SAID TEE TO ITS RAISED POSITION WHEN THE FOOTPEDAL IS NOT DEPRESSED, AND DISPENSING MEANS MOUNTED BELOW THE HOPPERAND ADJACENT SAID OUTLET FOR DISPENSING BALLS ONE AT A TIME FROM SAIDHOPPER TO SAID RACEWAY, SAID DISPENSER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAIDLEVER AND RESPONSIVE TO DEPRESSION OF SAID FOOT PEDAL FOR INDIVIDUALLYAND SUCCESSIVELY DISPENSING ONE BALL AT A TIME FROM SAID HOPPER INTOSAID ONE END OF THE RACEWAY, SAID BOTTOM INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLYHORIZONTAL PLATE PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID HOPPER ON A GENERALLYHORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID OUTLET BEING ADJACENT ONE EDGE OF THE PLATE, MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID DISPENSING MEANS TO SAID PLATE WHEREBY THEPLATE IS ELEVATED ABOVE ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID BOTTOM EACH TIME SAIDDISPENSING MEANS DISPENSES A BALL SO AS TO CHURN THE BALLS IN SAIDHOPPER ADJACENT SAID OUTLET.